Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden – Mega Tokyo Park

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden and Park is a mega Tokyo park nestled in central Tokyo. You can get lost in the 58.3ha (144 acres) park and imagine that you are far away in a Japanese villa, French estate garden or British landscape. Plan to take a lunchbox, and have a fun half exploring or relaxing in at Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. This is not the place for a “quick visit” the park is huge and entrances and exits only three, so you need to walk quite a way inside the park. When you enter the park, ask for an English map which is super handy. The park is very stroller friendly!

Our favorite location depends on the season, but #1 stop is always the Mother and Child Forest (Haha to Ko no Mori) which has cute trails made for small feet and a little river where kids can play a bit. The Mother and Child Forest also has bathrooms and sitting area under a pavilion to have lunch. The Japanese traditional garden is located right next to Mother and Child Forest and is a wonderful spot visit in the spring (cherry blossoms, azalea, and irises) and fall with the foliage. For a sitting break be sure to stop by the Japanese tea house for some foamy Japanese tea and sweet (700 yen for a set). The English landscape is a great place to bring a blanket to read a book or take a nap. The formal French garden has beautiful roses in late May and June. Expect to see many school children since this is a popular school day outing destination.

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden – Mega Tokyo Park

Shinjuku Gyoen was constructed on the site of a private mansion belonging to Lord Naito, a “daimyo”(feudal lord) of the Edo era. Completed in 1906 as an imperial garden, it was re-designated as a national garden after the Second World War and opened to the public. With 58.3 ha(144 acres) in size and a circumference of 3.5 km, it blends three distinct styles, French Formal Garden, English Landscape Garden and Japanese Traditional Garden, and is considered to be one of the most important gardens from the Meiji era.